The next day in the cavern, a decayed monster was busy at work, tinkering about sprung traps and reinstalling them as milky aura jubilantly hopped around him. 

“What a mess! Must not let the young master see this!!!” Thomas yelled loudly as he quickly rearmed the traps and did some very necessary hand movements with his staff. 

He stopped fiddling around and listened for a few minutes. There was nothing but silence. Wiping away some black sweat, he went back to work. Grumbling something under his breath, he again became quiet as if waiting for something to happen. When nothing still didn’t happen, he began to mop and sweep up the cave for about four hours. At the end of each hour, he thought about stopping only for a noise somewhere in the cave, scaring him into cleaning some more. Finally, with a jerk, Thomas swiftly moved, revolving his staff making traps instantly reset. New ones appeared as the milky aura seeped into the ground. 

As if in a soap opera. Thomas put a hand to his head and lamented, “This brings a tear to my eye. Our impregnable secure home was somehow broken into. I must reinforce these spells by 1000, nay 1000000 percent, or they will do my master a disservice.” As the traps were set then reinforced, Thomas shuffled slowly towards the room Haruto dwelled. 

Inside, a boy appeared to be asleep on the floor, but Thomas did not live 1000 years without some level of intelligence. Instead of entering the room to tidy or even pick the boy off the floor, Thomas merely waved his staff, causing a thick white wooden door to materialize. In fear, Thomas mumbled, “Not only shall I hear when he leaves this room, but it may just slow him down long enough to quell his anger.”

Thomas looked around the fixed cave with satisfaction. Finally, breathing a sigh of relief when no fists came raining upon him. 

Thomas sluggishly walked towards his study and closed the door. Inside, various images flashed about on a clear orb in the room, projecting the view from many flying eyeballs. In one, a young boy was fast asleep on the floor, his face showed signs of struggle as if he were attempting to force himself awake. Another view was projecting a man sitting at a campfire enjoying a nice meal of roasted “squirrel” and ale.

Seeing the man, Thomas fumed, “Bah, just wait mortal next time it will be you being roasted as my creations devour your flesh, and even then, your pain will be far from over.” Grabbing hold of his staff Thomas turned off the view of Requis. Looking at the struggling Haruto, Thomas began tapping his skeleton chin. He still has not awoken, but if I intervene and forcefully wake him, he will beat me into a paste. In that case, forgive me, young master. But your faithful servant will allow you, your beauty sleep. Besides, there is someone more worthy of being awake. Thomas showed a bony smile as he watched a scene that would surprise many scholars and mages. 

In a cave, far from Thomas’s, worried whimpers rang continually as wolves nudged at the still sleeping and very injured pack leader. Little pups looked on with worry, not quite sure of what was wrong, but sensing all was not right, they too joined in on the whimpering. Some of the older wolves barked as if saying something, but the whimpering continued. 

Finally, a long howl echoed that quieted all the whimpers. A wolf missing its canine tooth walked forward. The wolf solemnly looked around the den until his eyes fell upon their pack leader. The wolf remained still as if contemplating what to say on the matter until his eyes shined with resolve. The wolf began a mixture of barks and spiritual messages, which will undoubtedly be a headache for Thomas to decipher. 

With burning eyes, the wolf with the missing canine spoke to the depressed pack. “Alarick has yet to awaken from his slumber, but we must continue onward for the safety of the pack. The three truths of the pack still stand: we have trust in our pack, we have pride in our pack, and above all else, we have unity in our pack.” 

A chorus of whimpers responded as many wolves continued looking at their injured leader. But some were stirred by the speech. The more wizened older wolves asked with concern, “What do you think we should do, Marrok? Without Alarick, the pack lacks not only a leader but protection. The pups are in the most important part of their development without the hunt, they will be feeble.” 

Many howls in agreement followed this piece. Many of the female wolves nestled closer to their hungry pups.

Marrok, still with bright eyes, lets loose a long howl in response, “Then we shall hunt!!!”

The pack became silent after this rash declaration. 

The younger wolves’ eyes began turning bright, while the older wolves’ eyes remained hazy as if lost. Seeing the indecision, even Marrok started losing hope as his eyes flickered in brightness. 

Suddenly a sole wolf howled long and proud. There was sorrow in this howl, one that embodied the grief of the entire pack but also representing the hope for its survival. Its meaning was translated to all, “Marrok is right. With or without Alarick, the pack remains. Our needs remain, and our resolve remains. We shall hunt tonight. And not just a hunt consisting of the young and rash, but one consisting of all. Except for the pups and elderly, we all shall hunt tonight. This hunt will be the decider of our pack’s future. If you can weep for Alarick, then use those tears to water the growth of the pack he protects. As your temporary pack leader, I shall lead you to victory.”

Marrok, in shock, could not meet the bright eyes of a female wolf. He could only whimper to her both in self-loathing and in fear that another of their pack would be lost, “Reika, it is my fault your husband was so greatly injured. Allow me alone to carry this burden, you have been through enough.”

Reika, in indignation, howled back, “Is it not the purpose of the pack to share the burden? Is it not the trust in every member to do their part? Is it not the pride of us all to share in this burden? Our unity comes from everyone carrying the same burden. It is not unity behind Alarik, but always to the pack. With or without my husband, this is all of our problems. And all of us will carry this burden. To our graves... if we must.”

Finally, all the wolves’ eyes, both young and old, male and female, glowed with fire as their hearts were set aflame. The pups became ecstatic, not understanding what was going on, but happy everyone was no longer sad. The mother wolves were forced to carry their rowdy pups away but happily did so, quite excited for tonight’s hunt. 

Reika proudly stood before the sleeping Alarik, so anyone who dared look that way only saw her proud eyes in return. The young wolves had become too excited to rest, so they began roughly playing as if to show their prowess and skill for tonight’s hunt. The older, wiser wolves either dragged their young children under control or quickly went to get plenty of rest. 

Marrok stalled as he digested his thoughts, but he retreated to his hole upon looking into Reika's fiery eyes.

With everyone taken care of, Reika curled up near Alarik and went into her own slumber, determined to give her all for the pack.

Alarik, in an unconscious state, worriedly fought the strange drowsiness as he felt the fear and worry emanating from his pack. Finally, after feeling the warm embrace of someone, he relaxed and allowed himself to sleep.

Haruto, on the other hand, could only feel the cold hard ground. His anger towards Requis was the only thing keeping him warm. Where is that bloody undead freak? Ahh, please, for the love of anyone but sadist sama, come wake me up. I don’t want to go back to sleep, not until I break every bone in that old man’s body.

 But even that anger could not keep sleep from overpowering the weakened Haruto. Thus these two dreamed: one of the future and one of the past.